Saturday, September 30, 2017

Today I'm checking out one of the A-list stars of the DC Comics Bombshells property: Supergirl! Supergirl was the second statue released in the Bombshells series (back in September of 2013) and has continued to be a major presence in the line, the comic series, and all other merchandising. In the comic series, Kara's Kryptonian pod lands in Russia rather than in the US, leaving her to initially be a hero of the Soviets. Let's take a quick look at this cool retro styled Supergirl after the break...

Friday, September 29, 2017

In September Hasbro held their first Hascon, a convention which celebrated some of the various properties and licenses they produce toys for. Since Star Wars is such a huge part of Hasbro, they made sure to have their own Star Wars exclusive action figure at the convention. Clone Captain Rex (AKA: CT7567) is the 2017 Hascon exclusive and, like most other Black Series convention exclusives, he's kind of a prerelease. It seems that Captain Rex will be released in a Black Series assortment sometime next year in less elaborate packaging with fewer accessories but sporting a new headsculpt that takes advantage of the facial printing technology Hasbro has been using in the Marvel Legends line. Rex's prices have been jumping up to some fairly ridiculous levels but last week he was available on Hasbro's website and I managed to grab him. He's a really good figure but, unfortunately, he has some bizarre weaknesses that bring him down a bit. Let's take a closer look at this fan-favorite character from The Clone Wars after the break...

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Toy company makes a Lois Lane toy! Yes, I know there have been a few before (DC Collectibles released a Superman: The Animated Series Lois Lane figure in a 2-pack with Superman recently) but it's a pretty unusual occurrence. Since the women are the stars of the show in DC Comics Bombshells, however, Lois Lane absolutely gets a figure here. Giving Lois the design of an old fashion street corner newspaper seller is a pretty cool idea as it gives the character a period-era costume that connects with her most well known features. Of course, Lois Lane did appear in the 1940s in various ways and this isn't all how she looked. I do think I prefer this design, though. It's a lot cooler. Let's take a closer look after the break...

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

I reviewed the Smuggler's Bounty Aayla Secura on Sunday and now I'm checking out the second POP! vinyl in the Jedi themed box: Obi-Wan Kenobi! While Funko released Obi-Wan in an earlier box (the March 2015 "Cantina" themed box), that was an A New Hope version of the character listed as Ben Kenobi. This version of Obi-Wan represents his appearance in Revenge of the Sith. With the excitement and speculation about an upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi solo film, this seems like it might just be a popular POP! vinyl. While it does seem like he would be well paired with a ROTS Anakin, perhaps we'll see that one released in another Smuggler's Bounty crate soon. For now, let's check out what we already have after the break...

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

You'll never believe it! Today I'm looking at a DC Collectibles action figure release that has actually made it to store shelves! Starting last summer DC Collectibles seems to have been on a roll to cancel as many of their solicited action figure releases as possible. They cancelled some Arkham Knight releases, a bunch of Icons, pretty much their entire DC Films line, and now it seems like they might be looking to cancel some of the Bombshells action figures. DC Collectibles either seems to be wanting to get out of the action figures game or they're completely hung up on preorders. What they didn't cancel were the four figures in the Amanda Conner branded subset of the DC Designer Series that feature her interpretations of Harley Quinn from the character's eponymous comic series. I reviewed the first two figures earlier this year shortly after they were released, but I only just received the two figures from the second wave, so I'm a bit behind. Let's start with Holiday Harley Quinn, featuring Harley Quinn. Harley is wearing a sexy Santa Claus like outfit, jingle bells, and has gifts wrapped with red and green paper, yet she still gets the generic moniker of "Holiday Harley Quinn." What holiday I wonder? Of course, Harley Quinn is Jewish, but she seems to love to celebrate anything fun all the same. Plus, this figure is based off of the cover of the New 52 Harley Quinn Holiday Special #1, so the name makes sense in that respect, too. Let's check this one out a bit more closely after the break...

Monday, September 25, 2017

The latest Smuggler's Bounty crate just arrived and this month it included two POP! vinyls. This month's theme is "Jedi" and it includes two Jedi Masters: Obi-Wan Kenobi and Aayla Secura. I'm going to review Aayla Secura first because I have a somewhat interesting (but not really) Aayla Secura story. About 6 or 7 years ago my wife and I were very active in fostering dogs. Most of the dogs came from shelters and rarely had a real name. One time we fostered a beautiful German Shepard who came to us wearing a teal blue color that reminded me of the color of Aayla Secura's skin, so we decided to call her Aayla! I know that has nothing to do with the character at all, but I figured you might like that little nugget of joy for your day. Otherwise, I'd just be telling you that Aayla Secura is a Twi'lek Jedi Master from Ryloth who was murdered on Felucia after the issuance of Order 66. That's kind of a bummer, isn't it? Wasn't my story cheerier? Let's take a look at this super cool Star Wars POP vinyl after the break and try to raise our spirits...

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Harley Quinn is such a popular character that Cryptozoic stuck her in both the first and second series of their DC Comics Little Bombshells line (she also had a repaint version in series 1.5). Harley is a popular character so who can blame them right? In order to get a full set of the ten series 2 figures I actually bought an entire case of 12. I ended up with one of each character, one of the chase repaints of Supergirl, and one extra Harley Quinn. If you're interested in one of these, let me know and I'll sell her to you! Anyways, let's take a closer look at this series 2 Lil Bombshells minifigure after the break...

Saturday, September 23, 2017

It's time for another review from Star Wars: The Black Series and today it's Maz Kanata, the pirate queen from Takodana who plays a pivotal role in the destinies of both Finn and Rey in The Force Awakens. I love Maz Kanata and have been anxiously awaiting Hasbro to release her in this series. I cannot believe it has taken almost two years to get to her! It sounds like Maz will play a role in The Last Jedi as well, so maybe the timing of her release is just perfect? We'll have to wait and see. What we don't have to wait and see about, however, is that Maz Kanata is hands down one of the best Black Series released ever. In the now four years and going history of this line, I'd absolutely fight a gundark to prove the point that Maz is easily one of the top 10 figures in the series. Here's an incredible look at what Hasbro can do when they give it their all. More Maz Kanata coolness after the break...

Friday, September 22, 2017

Today I'm checking out another Lil Bombshells minifigure: Cheetah! I don't own the Cheetah statue yet but she's one I really, really want. I loved her character in the excellent Bombshells comic series and I absolutely love her design. Cheetah's design, featuring the elements of a classic safari photographer, really does a nice job of tying the character's traditional depictions together with the Bombshells style. Let's take a closer look at this classic Wonder Woman villain after the break...

Thursday, September 21, 2017

As we make our way closer and closer to the release of The Last Jedi (less than 90 days away!) we're checking out a figure from.... The Force Awakens? Yup. Apparently it's taken Hasbro about two years to release action figures of some of the main characters from The Force Awakens and we're now just finally getting an action figure of General Leia Organa from Episode VII. Sadly, it's after the passing of Carrie Fisher, so the arrival of this figure definitely feels very bittersweet. Let's check this figure out after the break...

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Today I'm checking out Bumblebee from DC Comics Lil Bombshells by Cryptozoic Entertainment. I'll have to be honest and admit that Bumblebee is a DC Comics character whom I am not very familiar with even though she has been around since 1976 and has been affiliated with the Teen Titans and the Doom Patrol. My first introduction to the character was through the DC Super Hero Girls line and, at first, I thought she was created for that series. Nope, I was wrong! It turns out that Bumblebee was DC's first African American female superhero. Looking at her history, it seems like she was mostly involved in periods before I was born or when I wasn't actively keeping up with DC Comics. Since seeing her in DC Super Hero Girls I've now seen her pop up in DC Rebirth and as a statue in the Bombshells line. Bumblebee's Bombshells design is meant to evoke an old school cheerleader using the yellow and black of her costume as the team colors. Let's check her out after the break...

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

I was fortunate enough to snag some new Star Wars: The Black Series figures off of Ebay last week and I'm looking at the second figure in the quartet I purchased: Finn in First Order Disguise. Apparently at some point in The Last Jedi Finn will go undercover into First Order territory, which makes sense: Being a former Stormtrooper, the guy knows the First Order inside and out. I've always loved disguised versions of "disguised" Star Wars characters (I still want Jyn and Cassian in their Imperial disguises from Scarif) and Finn is another entry in that long and storied tradition. Does he pass muster, however? Read on to find out...

Monday, September 18, 2017

Today starts the long journey of reviewing series 2 of Cryptozoic Entertainment's DC Comics Lil Bombshells (with plenty of Star Wars reviews mixed in to keep things fresh). Series 2 once again has ten unique figures in it along with two variants (specially repainted versions of Batgirl and Supergirl). I'm a huge fan of the Bombshells and I love this series of minifigures: It's a great way to be able to show off all of the unique character designs without breaking the bank on the statues (I own seven of those, so I'm by no means a completest on the series). Today I'm starting things off with a review of Bombshells Batgirl. I actually reviewed the Batgirl statue a few years ago and, I have to confess, it's one of my least favorites in the Bombshells series. I feel like this minifigure manages to bypass all of the problems that one had, though. Let's dive in to series 2 after the break...

Sunday, September 17, 2017

What makes a Star Wars costume iconic? That's tough to say. It's easy to point to incredibly well designed costumes like Darth Vader and Boba Fett and point out how incredible they are, but why is there so much love for a simpler outfit. Say, something like Han Solo's simple outfit with a dark jacket from The Empire Strikes Back? It's tough to quantify, really. Today I'm looking at the new Black Series Captain Poe Dameron figure from Hasbro and I'm still trying to decide what I think of Poe's new outfit. If you remember from Episode VII that Finn took Poe's jacket after he thought Poe was killed in the crash on Jakku, then you know that Poe just had to find something new to wear. Plus, new costumes sell more toys, right? Poe has a very simple, very basic outfit here, but there's something very classic about it too. Let's check this new Black Series release out after the break...

Saturday, September 16, 2017

On the landmark 75th edition of the Confirmed Epic Podcast The Reel Brad Bell reviews one of the most anticipated horror films in decades: the first ever theatrical adaptation of Stephen King's seminal horror classic, director Andres Muschietti's It. As always we get into the epic news items of the week, as well as what we have been checking out.

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell

Over the past few years Roy Harper has absolutely become one of my favorite DC characters. While Red Hood and the Outlaws may have started out a bit rough it quickly became one of my favorite books of the New 52 era and was followed up by the excellent Red Hood/Arsenal. Whether you call him Speedy, Red Arrow, Arsenal, or just Roy, Roy Harper has carved himself out a place in the DC Universe. He's not A-list, but he certainly belongs. That's one of the things that makes Roy's inclusion in Mezco's One:12 Collective line; he's definitely the most "wildcard" member of the One:12 Collective heroes right now. Of course, the reason for this is that Arsenal is a slightly elaborate variant of the previously released Green Arrow. Released near the end of last month as a Previews Exclusive, Arsenal uses all of Green Arrow's accessories and most of his body and outfit to deliver a unique character. He also comes packaged in one of those deluxe metal storage tins rather than the standard Mezco 5-panel box. Let's check this guy out and see how he stacks up to the other figures in this series after the break...

Friday, September 15, 2017

Today I'm excited to be reviewing a new First Order trooper type from The Last Jedi: The First Order Stormtrooper Executioner. Apparently these are the guys who get called in to "dispense final justice" against traitors in the First Order, or so says the small blurb on the back of the package. I'm assuming they mean executions and not handing out copies of the Joe Don Baker classic "Final Justice," which just so happens to be one of my favorite MST3K episodes. The First Order Stormtrooper Executioner is a Target exclusive and I managed to order him from Target.com. His package did have some sort of green serial number sticker on it but it peeled off easily. Ready for a closer look at this cool new Black Series figure? Then join me after the break...

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Today is the last review for the trifecta of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Marvel Legends figures I picked up recently and this one covers two of the Guardians: Rocket Raccoon & Groot! While the Rocket Raccoon from the first film was fairly disappointing and minimally articulated, Hasbro decided to give this one a nearly full set of Marvel Legends articulation. He doesn't have all of the joints of a standard Marvel Legends figure, but he has most of them (and one that most others don't have, too). While the first film's Rocket was paired up with the torso and head of the Groot build-a-figure, this Rocket includes a toddler Groot minifigure to pal around with on cosmic adventures. I'm a huge fan of the Guardians of the Galaxy films, but as a DC fan there's something that irks me in seeing that DC has trouble getting even their most mainstream characters into theaters while Marvel Studios can have full battle scenes between a talking raccoon and a tree set to 70s and 80s pop music. These are strange and wonderful times we're living in, folks! Let's take a closer look at this cool set after the break...

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Force Friday II was kind of weird; while I am absolutely pumped for The Last Jedi, it feels like so many of the Black Series action figures released were for Episode VII and other films. Maz Kanata, General Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, and Rey on her Speeder? All figures that Hasbro should have released alongside (or shortly) after The Force Awakens. I'm not sure if it's due to the fact that Hasbro is having to deal with Disney's bizarre overly zealous attitude towards secrecy or just because Hasbro is having to work around a film a year schedule, but it just seems really odd. Fortunately, when we're getting "delayed" product it seems to turn out pretty good, as is the case with Rey and her speeder. Rey's speeder was released alongside of Luke and his Landspeeder and while they're not the first vehicles in the Black Series, they're the first in around 2 years. Let's take a look at this incredible 2-pack after the break...

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

It's time for another Marvel Legends review from their Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 series and this time it's a kind-of-villain: Nebula! Nebula and Ronan the Accuser were the two characters from the first film that I cannot believe Hasbro didn't produce (let's be honest: Hasbro seemed to have an aversion to making Marvel Cinematic Universe villains for a few years) so I'm glad that Nebula received a figure for the second film. Not only is Nebula a very cool and very inspired looking character but she's also played by the incredible Karen Gillan. Nebula is another one of those Marvel Legends that just shows how good of a job Hasbro's Marvel Legends team is really doing. Let's take a closer look at this very slick figure after the break...

Monday, September 11, 2017

Hokey Halloween Horror 2017 continues with director Bobby Roe's The Houses October Built available now on Netflix. Join The Reel Bell as he gives his thoughts on one of the most surprising horror films of the past several years. Did Roe revive the found footage sub genre of horror? Found out in another special edition of Hokey Halloween Horror on the Confirmed Epic Podcast.

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell

While Hasbro has yet to release a 6 inch version of Rey in the outfit she wears at the end of The Force Awakens (don't worry, it's coming soon!), we already have an action figure of Rey based on at least one of her appearances in The Last Jedi: Rey in her Jedi Training outfit. Rey is an excellent figure but she definitely still shows off Hasbro's primary weaknesses with this line due to a headsculpt that is a bit off. While they do an incredible job with characters without living actor/actress counterparts and non-humans, they seem to have a tough time capturing likenesses. Still, Rey also shows off many of the strengths in this line: Nice accessories, functional holsters, and unexpected costume details. Let's take a closer look at the (presumably) major hero of the Sequel Trilogy after the break...

Sunday, September 10, 2017

In episode #74.2 of the Confirmed Epic Podcast The Reel Brad Bell & AKA Andrew Stokes bring you another .1 episode format of the podcast with a discussion on who will direct Star Wars Episode 9 after the departure of Colin Trevorrow. As always we get into the rest of the epic news items of the week, as well as what we have been checking out.

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell

While I'm am absolutely many, many, many times a DC fan more than a Marvel fan, I know it's no contest as to who has the best ongoing action figure line: It's Marvel Legends, hands down. With every new series of figures Hasbro just seems to keep improving the Legends line. The sculpts and likenesses get better, the accessories seem to actually be improving and becoming more numerous, and the character selection keeps going deeper. Despite how awesome they are I don't actually collect that many Marvel figures but I do make an exception for the Guardians of the Galaxy. I've been looking for the series 2 figures for months and I finally found them last month. First up in a trifecta of GOTG reviews is Gamora. Let's take a closer look at this incredible rendition of the Most Dangerous Woman in the Universe after the break...

Saturday, September 9, 2017

It's time for another pickup from Force Friday II: Luke Skywalker (Jedi Master)! Yes indeed, it inexplicably took Hasbro nearly two years to release a figure of Luke Skywalker based on his appearance in The Force Awakens. I know Luke only had a brief appearance in the film, but how the heck did Hasbro not get this ready sooner? According to Hasbro sources, they didn't get to see Luke in his Jedi Master robes until the film hit theaters. What gives? It seems like Disney is so intent on keeping Star Wars stuff "secret" that it's even affecting their relationships with their licensees. I really hope Hasbro and Disney work something out as it would suck to have to keep waiting upwards of two years to receive action figures of prominent characters revealed in each film. Luke is supposed to play a much larger role in The Last Jedi, so his inclusion here certainly makes sense. I doubt that there was any action figure from a sequel trilogy character more anticipated than Luke Skywalker, so it's kind of cool that it's finally here. How does it fare, though? Find out after the break...

Friday, September 8, 2017

Of the six main members of the Justice League that appear to be showcased in the upcoming film, Aquaman is the one whose appearance varies the most from his comic counterpart. While we've definitely seen Aquaman depicted with a giant beard and longer hair, Jason Momoa's portrayal of the character definitely looks different. That's not a bad thing, though; I'm pretty pumped to see Aqaman make a real on-screen debut (you know, besides his cameo in BvS). Aquaman is part of the first series of DC Comics Multiverse figures based on Justice League so he includes the expected Collect & Connect piece for Steppenwolf. Let's take a closer look at Aquaman after the break...

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Today it's time for my first review of an action figure from Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi and it's Kylo Ren! From early pictures of this figure, I really though Kylo Ren was going to be the dud of the first series of figures since he didn't initially appear to look much different than the TFA version of the character except with the unhelmeted head. It turns out, though, that this figure offers up plenty of new sculpting and is actually rather impressive. Kylo Ren has become an incredibly popular character and I'm excited to see where his character arc goes in The Last Jedi. We're less than 3 1/2 months away, you know! Let's take a closer look at another of my Force Friday II finds after the break...

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Mattel surprised DC collectors earlier this year with the release of some Super Friends inspired action figures in the DC Comics Multiverse line. As far as I know, so far these are Wal-Mart exclusives, so you'll have to run to Wally World if you want to pick up either the Super Friends Green Lantern or the Super Friends Batman (Superman and Aquaman should be making their way to stores soon, too). I only picked up Batman, so he's who I'm going to check out today. While Super Friends is a little bit before my time, their definitely is something about this figure that makes me feel a bit nostalgic: The cloth cape with a plastic clasp. While this is a feature from Kenner's Super Powers Collection and, later, Kenner's The Dark Knight Collection, Mattel implemented it here. I think it fits and was a wise decision on their part. Let's take a closer look at this cool, classic Batman figure after the break...

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

This past Friday (September 1st, 2017) was Force Friday II and Hasbro officially released a fair amount of new Star Wars product to stores. While the majority of it was focused on the upcoming Episode VIII: The Last Jedi there were still quite a few releases inspired by other Star Wars films and shows. Today I'm looking at a release from the Black Series line inspired by the excellent Rebels TV series: Hera Syndulla! The Rebels figures have consistently been some of the best figures in the Black Series and I won't keep you in anticipation: Despite a lack of accessories, Hera is just as good as any other Rebels based figure. It's kind of tough for me to decide which crew I'm the most excited about seeing completed in the Black Series: The ESB bounty hunters, the main cast in their Empire Strikes Back outfits, or the crew of the Ghost from Rebels. Hera Syndulla, the captain of the Ghost, gets us one step closer to one of those goals! Let's check her out more closely after the break...

Monday, September 4, 2017

Did yesterday's review of Batwoman leave you wondering the identity of the second figure I pulled from series 1.5 of Cryptozoic's DC Comics Lil Bombshells toyline? It was Harley Quinn! How crazy that I pulled my two favorite characters from the series, huh? I was pretty pumped about that. Like with Batgirl, this Harley is the same sculpt as the series 1 version with a different paintjob. While the first Harley Quinn's paintjob captures the look of the Bombshells statue, this one has a paintjob that is reminiscent of Harley's modern comic outfits. Let's take a short look at this minifigure after the break...

Sunday, September 3, 2017

Last year I reviewed series 1 of Cryptozoic's DC Comics Lil Bombshells and they ended up being one of my favorite minifigure series of the year. While series 2 is just starting to hit in large numbers (I received mine in the mail on Tuesday and should be getting around to reviewing them soon), Cryptozoic did also release a series 1.5 earlier this year. Series 1.5 features the same 10 figures from series 1 with new color schemes. I originally didn't plan on picking any of series 1.5 up due to the price and the fact that these are simple repaints but a few weeks ago I found two of these on clearance for $2.50 at a Wal-Mart while on vacation. They were both sealed but I took my chances and was rewarded: The first figure is my favorite Bombshell, Batwoman! My wife actually made a homemade, from scratch Bombshells Batwoman costume for the Charlotte Heroes Convention this year and it's incredible! Now I love Bombshells Batwoman even more. We were both thrilled to pull this figure from the pack. Let's take a closer look at the series 1.5 version of Kate Kane after the break...

Saturday, September 2, 2017

I've got friends in town this weekend, plus I've been going crazy picking up The Last Jedi merchandise, so today is a short one: It's the DC7 Batman from Jada Toys' DC Nano Metalfigs. DC Nano Metalfigs thus far has features a variety of comic characters from different eras as well as DCEU characters from BvS and Suicide Squad. They look to have a 1966 Batman on the way as well, so it's a fairly robust line, and now you can add Batman: The Animated Series to the list. This Batman is based on the classic B:TAS model and makes a nifty little collectible for under a dollar. More words and pictures after the break...

Friday, September 1, 2017

In episode #74.1 of the Confirmed Epic Podcast The Reel Brad Bell & AKA Andrew Stokes introduce the new .1 episode format of the podcast with a discussion on Leonardo DiCaprio potentially being Martin Scorsese's Joker. As always we get into the rest of the epic news items of the week, as well as what we have been checking out.

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell

When it comes to action figure playsets of the 1990s, Kenner's various Batcaves dominated toy aisles. While Toy Biz released a Batcave during their brief Batman movie 1989 movie, it was Kenner's 1990 The Dark Knight collection that introduced the ultra cool Batcave that unfolded into six different segments and became a staple of toy shelves and Batman collections through four films and Batman: The Animated Series. Over the years we've seen a number of Batcave playsets and they're still hitting shelves today (although many are now part of the Imaginext and Lego collections). I'm looking at one of the most recent Batcaves to hit toy shelves and it's from Jada Toys' DC Nano Metalfigs line (Mattel also has a repainted version of last year's BvS Batcave out for Justice League currently in stores). While it's billed as more of a display environment than a playset, I have to say that I think this is one of the best Batcaves released. It feels very true to the comic depictions of the Batcave and isn't overloaded with extraneous play features. It also only costs $25 dollars. Yes, you heard me right. $25 bucks for this super cool playset, complete with two die-cast metal minifigures. This thing is amazing and I'm going to show you why after the break...